Women trammies

Carolyn Dean was one of the first women to work with the Ballarat Tramway since the conductresses who were there during World War II (1939-1945). This newspaper article is from the Ballarat Courier, January 12, 1976.

Carolyn (now Carolyn Cleak) is still an active member of the Museum, and has served as a board member and treasurer for over 40 years. She can still be found on weekends selling tickets from the Museum’s ticket counter.

Ballarat Courier article 1976:
Women trammies back in Ballarat.
Ballarat Tramway Preservation Society has taken another step toward preserving the complete history of Ballarat’s famous tram service. It has reintroduced women conductors after an absence of almost 30 years and will soon be teaching women to drive.

Women were first introduced onto Ballarat trams during World War II to offset the shortage of men.
After the war no more were employed, but those working were allowed to continue until they retired, the last doing so in the early 1950s.

But now, as the trams wind their around Lake Wendouree once again people are buying their tickets from a female connie. The society have three women conductresses, but they all live in Melbourne and can get to Ballarat only on weekends or holidays.

During the weekend Carolyn Dean, conductress and future driver, was at the helm with her money bag and ticket book, wearing a uniform similar to those worn during the war.
Carolyn’s husband Geoff is also a member the society. While Carolyn was at work, he was back in the depot working on one the cars in the sheds.

Both Carolyn and Geoff have international experience in tram preservation societies, because during a three year spell in England they were members of the Criche Preservation Society near Nottingham, and so when they returned to Australia, they naturally joined another society straight away.

“I guess my whole family, on both sides are trammies from way back,” she said.

“Geoff has been interested in them as long as he can remember, and my eldest son nearly jumps out of his skin every time he sees a tram in Melbourne.”

And although her youngest son is only nine weeks old, he is getting off to a good start, while mum was selling tickets and dad was hard at work, he was having a snooze in the depot office.

The society will be operating its trams this weekend.